The Kids Aren't Alright
by historyrepeatsitself
Summary: "No sooner had the darkness consumed him, the familiar shrieks and screams, the splashing of water all around him, and he was back in the false reality of nightmares."
1. Chapter 1

**_I dunno where I came up with this but here yah go! It takes place about a year after the war so there might be some feels involved._**

 ** _Rating: K+ (might be some descriptive images but I'm just gonna play on the safe side.)_**

 ** _Pairing: Not much, but mainly Hiccup/Camicazi_**

The still night air blew through the tall dark towers of Grimbeard's castle. The castle was completely dark, it's still presence sending an eerie vibe through the island of Tomorrow where the castle stood. The castle had changed of course, it was not the same dark blood strained horror that Grimbeard had left it. The castle was normally full of life, merchants and servants bustling through. A happy chatter filling the now silent halls, but at night the castle was different. At night the castle seemed to revert back to the cold sadness and hardship of the war that had raged the lands only a year ago, its silent halls once again showing blood stains, the grounds once again depicting the violence that had taken place there.

But tonight, tonight the castle was different. Tonight a small light flickered from the top of the tall west tower. It was a small change, but even the small illumination brightened the looming monument. The light of the tower flickered on and off, occasionally disappearing for a moment or so, as its carrier moved to a different part of the room that hid the light from onlookers. But the light would always return

Far up in the west tower a small boy sat, his left hand running fluidly over the sheets of parchment that adorned the desk of the large room. A small candle sat next to him atop the desk, the wax from the candle had nearly burned down, the remnants of the candle burned softly letting off just the faintest of glows that allowed the boy to just barely see the yellow parchment that sat before him.

A large bed sat in the middle of the room next to a small fireplace that remained dark despite the cold night. Atop the bed sat two small dragons, a brown one curled around one of the bed posts, he looked much older than the other dragon, his brown skin wrinkled from his many years. The other dragon slept on top of the large pillow that adorned the bed, this dragon was much younger, with bright green scales, and devilish green eyes. Though his eyes were currently closed in exhaustion, a faint smoke drifted from his nose as he snored on through the cold night.

The boy smiled faintly as he glanced back at the two sleeping dragons, only wishing he could sleep as easy, but his mind would not allow it. Tonight had been the end of the war exactly a year ago, tonight he had both gained and lost a friend. Tonight his arch enemy, Alvin the Treacherous had perished and for the first time, stayed dead. Tonight had been the night he had gained his crown. Tonight had been the night Fishlegs had gained him his crown.

Sometimes he wished that he had remained away from war entirely. But if he did that the two sleeping dragons would not be here with him. _But_ his mind informed him, _Snotlout would be._

The boy grimaced at the very idea of Snotlout's death, struggling to stop a tear from rolling down his cheek. It had been his fault hadn't it? Snotlout had risked his life for him, and so had many others. How many others had died because of him that he didn't even know? He didn't want to know.

No wonder no one had wanted him as a king. How many people were sitting here just as he was, missing someone who had died in the war, his war? Probably many more than he could even imagine. He stifled a sob, _WHY?_

The idea had come to him before but never like this, _WHY?_

Why him? Why this archipelago? Why Snotlout? Why Camicazi? Why Fishlegs? Why Toothless? Why anyone?

Why?

He shuddered as he remembered Camicazi's defiant voice as she was thrown in a box and sunk into a sea of Winter-Fleshers to get him to give away the Dragonmarker's location. "Don't give up, Hiccup! I'll be alright! I always am!"

He remember the jeers as Fishlegs gave him the lobster claw necklace, he how everyone had turned their backs, he remembered Camicazi's half turn. But Fishlegs hadn't turned. Fishlegs came forward, "I do not turn!" he called out to the crowd, his weak figure pushing through the crowd of muscular Vikings, far bigger than himself to reach Hiccup. He remembered the Witch's shriek of outrage as Fishlegs placed the lobster claw necklace around Hiccup's neck. "Hiccup is still my king!" Fishlegs had called.

And now Hiccup really was king, wasn't he? And all because of Fishlegs. All because of Fishlegs and Camicazi, he was here.

Camicazi had never stopped looking. Even after everyone had said that Hiccup was dead, even after everyone told her she was wrong. She had been right after all hadn't she? She had still believed in him.

Hiccup smiled, through tears were still pouring down his face. Whether from happiness or sadness he wasn't sure. He was so glad the war was over, he never wanted to see his friends like that again.

A small tear dripped down onto the parchment, smudging the writing. Hiccup laughed as he realized that the writing now resembled something of

"Becoming a Heroteyhudrywa"

Hiccup gazed at the paper, trying to decipher the best way to save the word. Becoming a Hero the…

The what? As he stared, the letters began to flicker and reform themselves, until Hiccup was staring at the words "Becoming a Hero the Hard Way."

He blinked at the words as they returned to their original form. Becoming a Hero the Hard Way?

It seemed strangely fitting. What had Old Wrinkly said, oh so long ago? "Okay, so maybe you're not a natural. Maybe you just have to work at it?"

Becoming a Hero the Hard Way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright! Here's chapter two! Let me know if you enjoyed this Fic, reviews mean a lot 3**

Camicazi tossed and turned. It wasn't like her to not be able to sleep, but the nightmares seemed unending. Everyone a different horror, a different fear she had kept hidden. Finally, she awoke, her long blonde hair matted and tangled, sweat running down her back as she struggled to catch her breath. The fireplace next to her bed seemed a million times hotter than before.

She scrambled out of bed and flung open the wooden hatch that barred the large stone window that occupied the circular west wall of her room. A cool breeze blew through, rustling her hair back from her face and giving her a chance to breath. The large archipelago spanned out in front of her, a dark ocean, illuminated only by the occasional ship that passed by, in the great ocean, Camicazi could just make out the figures of several islands that lay near Tomorrow, the towns dark as the cold air blew through them.

Beyond the islands, spanned the immense black sky. Camicazi gazed upward, transfixed upon the stars that shown bright upon the small islands. A large glistening silver moon floating at the center, sending off cool beams of light over the small towns. The entire archipelago seemed to be bathed in a cool silver light, created only by the heavens. She leaned out of the tower window to pear directly upward, only to be greeted by a warm light pouring out of Hiccup's room above her. Camicazi grinned before flinging open the large wooden door the barred her bedroom and fleeting up the winding steps of the tower.

Hiccup lay his head down on his desk, his left hand aching from the repeated scrawling of letters. And entire side of Hiccup's hand was now dyed a black color from the ink and the nub of his quill was far too dull to write with. He glanced over again at the two small dragons that lay on the bed he was supposed to be occupying. Wishing more than anything, that his brain would let him sleep. He closed his eyes, hoping that he would finally be able to rest, but no sooner had the darkness consumed him, the familiar shrieks and screams, the splashing of water all around him, and he was back in the false reality of nightmares. All around him, people fell dead, their weapons dropping from their hands, their eyes going from bright to dark in all of a second, leaving him standing their unarmed and afraid. All around him those who were still alive screamed, their voices reverberating through his brain, making him tremble in fear. "You've killed us!" the voices screamed, "You've murdered us!"

Hiccup whimpered as the voices approached their faces masked by the darkness of dreams. Toothless sat crouched upon his shoulder, his look of usual defiance replaced by a look of fear and mistrust.

" _Toothless?_ " Hiccup whispered to the small dragon crouched on his shoulder, " _Toothless?_ " But the dragon seemed not to hear him, his relentless stare not directed at the faceless crowd that threatened them, but more, at Hiccup himself.

" _Y-you've k-killed them._ " Muttered Toothless, his small voice quaking with fear and mistrust.

" _No!_ " Hiccup cried, desperately trying to stop the stream of tears from pouring from his eyes. All around him, the Hooligans he had known and grown up with, fell dead. The light burning from their eyes before they finally fell. His father amongst them, desperately trying to save his bewildered tribe whom Hiccup had vanquished.

All the nightmares he'd had as a young child suddenly came flooding back to him. His father dying, his mother never returning from her quests, Fishlegs being cast out from the tribe. Raids, kidnapping, murder. The list went on and on until Hiccup was finally left standing alone in the center of black faces. "Hiccup!" screamed one of them, its voice strangely high and not as menacing as he would have guess, "Hiccup!"

He opened his eyes, a girl was standing over him, her long messy blonde hair uncombed as usual falling just past her waist, her bright blue eyes written with concern. Her hand was planted firmly on his shoulder as if to stop him from falling. "Hiccup?" she asked, quieter now that she could see that he was awake.

"I'm alright." He muttered, though he realized that his eyes were filled with tears and he'd probably been screaming. "Just a nightmare."

Camicazi nodded as though understanding. Though she didn't seem the type to get nightmares,  
"Did I wake you?" he asked

"No, I couldn't sleep anyways." She replied, her nonchalant tone restored. Hiccup nodded weakly. His face pale in the small flame produced by the waning candle.

"What was the dream?" asked Camicazi, after a long pause. The candle light reflected in her eyes, making the shimmering sky blue of her eyes appear brighter than usual.

"Nothing important." Hiccup murmured, embarrassed by the question. It was a stupid dream. A weak dream. The very kind Vikings did not get. The vulnerable kind.

Camicazi raised her eye brow in suspicion. "Nothing important." She repeated quietly, almost to herself more than Hiccup. "It was about the war, wasn't it?" she asked. Hiccup glanced up at her and nodded. He blinked, trying to stop the stream of tears the burned the corners of his eyes. "That stupid, stupid war." Camicazi muttered. And Hiccup could just see the glint of a tear forming in her eyes as well, though Camicazi never cried.

"Was it-"Hiccup began hesitantly his voice quiet in the still night, "my fault those people died? Do they really want me to be their king? I mean, Snotlout-"Hiccup cut himself off with a shudder at the memory of his cousin's death.

Camicazi shook in head in answer. "Hiccup, it wasn't your fault. People die. Things change. That's why we have wars, for change, good or bad. It wasn't your fault. Those people knew what they signed up for. Snotlout wanted to die good, he gave you the black star, didn't he? All the people who died, died for a cause they believed in. And in the Dragonmaker's case, that cause was you. They wanted you as their king. They believed in you."

Hiccup glanced up at Camicazi, a weak smile forming on his face. "Thanks, Camicazi." He mumbled, his dark blue eyes showing the exhaustion of the past couple months. Camicazi nodded and Hiccup could see the mark of war on her as well. Her usual chatter and excitement was far more of a mask now than a personality. She had a long scar that ran along her cheek from an Alvinsmen's sword. It had only been a few years since he had first met her. Four, he guessed, but he could already see the difference between her present and younger self. She'd grown up, much more than someone perhaps should in the short time. He supposed he had too. Everyone had. The war had forced so many to grow up so fast, Hiccup still wasn't sure if they were all ready.


	3. Chapter 3

**Final chapter! This one's short, but thanks if you actually read this far! It means a lot, especially being new to :)**

"Do you want me to stay?" Camicazi asked after a long time. The sun had begun to rise over the horizon, sending a cool morning light into the large stone room. The light flowing through the room and winding up the tall cylindrical ceiling, sending beams of light down on the two young teenagers that lay together in the large bed in the center of the room. The two small hunting dragons slept at the foot of the bed, a gentle curl of smoke rising from the nostril of each dragon. A smaller, much older dragon slept curled atop one of the posts of the bed, his wings curled in and his tail wound around the bed post giving him a similar appearance to the statues of guardian angels.

Hiccup nodded sleepily in answer to Camicazi's question. His eyes still closed against the morning sun. Camicazi smiled as she too closed her eyes, finally drifting off into a peaceful sleep.


End file.
